Hole digging machine



Oct. 19, 1943. P. H. Row|-:

HOLE DIGGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1941 INVENTOR 1 5M ATTORNEY Frq UREL I5 F'I LLREQ 1 PatentedOct. 19, 1943 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to ya machine for digging shallow holes in the ground andmountable upon, and operable by; a tractor.

While the device may be adapted for use in connection with any form of power driven vehicle, and applied to many different-purposes,

for the purpose of this disclosure one specific form of tractor is referred to, and the device is described as applied to the formation of holes preparatory to the planting of tomato plants.

In the planting of young tomato plants on a large scale, that is in the setting out large fields of the plants as when the tomatoes are grown for canning and shipping rather than for local consumption, it has heretofore been customary to effect the planting in the same manner as in the planting of a fewplants. dug by hand, and each following operation was performed manually.

But the digging of acres of holes, even though they may be small and shallow, is a time-consuming and laborious undertaking regardless of the purpose for which they are made. made for the purpose indicated, the time consumed in preparing to plant the young plants results in the loss of a material number of them.

It is, therefore, one object of my invention to provide mean -whereby the type of holes referred to may be quickly and easily formed in any desired number and spaced as desired.

Itfis also an object of the invention to, provide means of the character indicated thatpmay be readily adapted for use in connection with a tractor or other suitable power'operated vehicle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means of the character indicated that will be economical to manufacture, simple in form and construction, positive in action, strong, durable, and highly efficient in its practical application. g

In the drawing:

That is, the holes were When Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a I tractor with a device embodying my inventionv mounted thereon. a

Figure 2 ,is a sectional view showing the parts lying immediately in front of the plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Figure I.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of a tractor and showing how a part of my improved hole digger is mounted thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed, the reference character I indicates a tractor of the .wheeled type, and 2 indicates a supporting structure mounted thereon, transversely thereof, and

- .On the standards '4 is journaled, as at 5, a

crank shaft 6 in which the crank is shown at 1. In the crank shaft 6 is inserted a clutch of any suitable type as indicated at 8. On one end of the crank shaft 6 is mounted a sprocket wheel 9 which is connected to, and driven by, a chain ill engaging a sprocket II on the drive shaft l2 of the tractor. While one portion of shaft 6 is being rotated continuouslyin the direction indicated'by arrow l3 when the tractor is in motion, the other portion including the crank I may be caused to rotate or not at the will of the operator.

Mounted on the rear axle housing of the trac tor is a brace member I4, this. member extending forwardly of the housing and having a depending bracket I5 mounted thereon, thepin IS in the lower end of said bracket thereby being brought down to a point adjacent the ground overwhich the tractor travels. This bracket I5 is braced and rigidly held in place by means of tie-bars I1 extending from the pin Hi to the lower forward corners vof two of the standards 4 to which they are secured as at l8.

Pivotally mounted upon the pin l6 and extending forwardly therefrom is a thrust bar l9 fitted on its forward end with a shovel or scoop 29. A link 2| is pivotally connected to the bar [9 adjacent the scoop 20 as at 22, and also to the crank! at its other end. Springs 23 are con- .nected tothe forward end of bar l9 as at 24 and to standards 4 ,as at 25 for the purpose hereinafter set forth.- v s s Y The several parts of the structure described are so arranged and proportioned that when the crank 1 is in its uppermost position the shovel or scoops 20 is elevated above the surface of the ground, as at Ma, butas it travels downwardly the scoop is moved through the position shown in solid lines to its lowermost position indicated Since the scoop 'is inclined downwardly and forwardly from the bar 19 and is thrust into,

and lifted out of the ground. while the tractor is moving forwardly, it follows that with each rotation of the crank'l it will scoop up a given quantity of soil, forming the desired hole in the soil and deposit the removed soil on the surface beyond the hole.

2 Sincethe scoop 20 and the tractor are operated from the same drive shaft their movements are perfectly coordinated, and the speed at which the tractor is operated is immaterial. When it is desired to operate the tractor without operating the scoop the clutch 8 is disconnected and assembly and operation may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated in the appended claim. I

I claim: y In combination, a tractor having an upstandcrank-shaft mounted on said structure adjacent and forwardly of the tractor seat and drivingly connected to the tractor drive shaft, lever supporting means mounted on the rear axle housing of the tractor and depending therefrom, a lever pivotally mounted on said means and extending forwardly therefrom, a scoop mounted on the forward end of the lever and disposed to be moved into and out of the soil, a link connecting the crank-shaft and lever to impart an oscillatory movement'tosaid lever, a manually operable clutch inserted in the crank-shaft adjacent the tractor seat, spring means connecting the lever ing supporting structure mounted thereonra and upstanding supporting means to normally support the scoop in an inoperative position when the clutch is disengaged.

PHILIP H. ROWE. 

